View Full Version : New to the forums, need a hand. - migraines while using Strattera


Luke2k12
05-15-04, 01:31 PM
Hello all,

My situation is this:

I am 25 years old and was diagnosed with adhd at age 7. I took methylphenidate from age 7-13 when i entered puberty. At the time it was believed that adhd would subside as i got through puberty.(or so we were told). Looking back on it now, i have struggled though life since i was taken off the medication, bouncing in and out of schools, dropping out, experimenting with drugs and partying though my high school years. I look back on it now and realize how many of my problems may have been related to my ADHD. after high school(dropped out) i worked for a year and got into a community college, where i did surprisingly well. I have always recieved high test scores and consider myself intelligent, but i just have a problem actually sitting there and learning. Well after community college i transfered to a big university and everything started to break down. At that point i was not realizing that it may be my adhd making my time so difficult. After partying/spending wasting my college money and coming to grips with the place my life was going i decided a drastic change was in order, so after much soul searching i joined the U.S. Army reserves, in the hopes that the discipline i learned would help me cope with life. I performed extremely well in basic training and ait(job school) and came home and promptly moved away from my troublesome friends, to louisiana and enrolled at LSU to try to get myself finished with college and move on with life. Well, turns out I still have a terrible time with the big school, and i went to class everyday and "tryed to study".


Because of all this and numerous talks with my mother about my life as a child and how the adhd medicine helped me, i decided to consult a doctor and request medication to try and improve my horrible impulse control problems and inability to basically function on a focused task. He has me trying strattera, it is my second day on the 40 Mg dosage per day, and will be moving up to 80 after 2 more days.

The problem is that after the first day i awoke from bed with a debilitating migraine headache so painful it brought me to my knees and tears to me eyes. After about a half hour it subsided. I consulted my doctor and he said that it was not a common side effect, and after i consulted these forums i assumed it wasnt either so i took my second 40mg dose and promptly got another 30 minute migraine that nearly had me pulling off the road.

Has anyone else had this happen? And do the sexual side effects subside(noticed some trouble with girlfriend already after only one dosage) Anything any of you can offer as advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


Have any of you had similar experiences? I want to give strattera a good try ,as i can already see improvements, but i am afraid of the side effects, i have always been afraid of relying on chemicals =(

Gregster
05-15-04, 03:01 PM
Most side effects should go away with time, but it can take several weeks and they may not go away completely. I haven't heard of Strattera causing migraines, but I'm sure in some people it might. It's a hard call to make - do you put up with the headaches, hoping they'll go away, and keep taking Strattera, or do you try something else? If it was me, I'm not sure I'd be willing live with migraines if they continued to occur every time I took a pill, especially when there are other medications to try. I'd talk to your Dr again.
Good luck,
Greg

FightingBoredom
05-15-04, 05:31 PM
Getting Migraines as a side effect from medications would be an indication to me that you should find a different medication. Everyone's physiology is different. One medication may work for a large number of people with minimal side effects. While it finds that rare person that it wreaks havoc with.
I would say the side effects outway the benefits if you are getting debilitating migraines from them.
Migraines don't typically get better with age. Only time will tell if your body is just adjusting to the dosage or if you will always react this way.
Since this is abnormal for the drug I would try something else.
Unfortunately, medication therapy is mostly trial and error so keep the faith while you are riding that roller coaster.
And stay connected here! You will find the postings to be as much help as the medicaiton at times....

apcpapergirl
05-15-04, 08:09 PM
Welcome to the ADD Forums, Luke.

ADDthis
05-15-04, 11:57 PM
I'm with FB,

Find another option.

Best luck to ya. Keep us informed when you find what it is that works for you..